Wales Converted Occupation Contracts: AST to Occupation Contract Conversion

What Happened on 1 December 2022

When the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 came into full force on 1 December 2022, existing tenancies and licences within the Act's scope were automatically converted into occupation contracts under Schedule 12. Assured Shorthold Tenancies, assured tenancies, regulated tenancies and covered residential licences were replaced by occupation contracts.

The conversion was automatic for agreements within scope — no consent was required from either the landlord or the tenant (now a contract-holder). The statutory framework supplied the required terms, while compatible terms of the original agreement could continue.

What Converted Contracts Look Like

A converted occupation contract inherits its type from the original tenancy:

• A periodic AST became a converted periodic standard contract — a rolling month-to-month arrangement with the statutory fundamental and supplementary terms layered on top.
• A fixed-term AST became a converted fixed-term standard contract for the remainder of the original fixed term. When that term expired, the contract transitioned automatically to a periodic standard contract.
• An assured tenancy (non-shorthold) became a converted occupation contract under Schedule 12, subject to the statutory framework.

The statutory terms of the Renting Homes Act applied immediately to all converted contracts. Any clause in the original AST that conflicted with an unalterable fundamental term became void on 1 December 2022.

The Written Statement Deadlines

Landlords had until 1 June 2023 — a six-month grace period — to deliver a written statement for every converted occupation contract. This deadline has passed, but the obligation remains for any landlord who missed it.

A landlord who still has not delivered a written statement for a converted contract remains in breach and is exposed to statutory compensation — one day's rent per day of delay, up to two months' rent. The applicable transitional deadline was 1 June 2023; it was not the 1 December 2022 conversion date.

The June 2026 Update

The insertion of Sections 54A and 54B into the Act on 1 June 2026 created a further obligation for converted contracts. These anti-discrimination provisions — the right for children to live in or visit the dwelling (54A) and the prohibition on blanket benefit-recipient exclusions (54B) — are unalterable fundamental terms that apply to all standard occupation contracts, including converted ones.

Landlords were required to issue either a written statement of variation or an updated model written statement reflecting these new terms by 14 June 2026. Sections 54A and 54B apply whether or not the written statement was updated; if the statement was not updated, it remains out of date.

What Landlords Should Check Now

If a tenancy started before December 2022 and the contract-holder is still in occupation:

1. Was a written statement ever delivered? If not, the landlord is in ongoing breach with Section 87 compensation accruing daily (capped at two months' rent).
2. Does the written statement reflect the current model? The Welsh Government's model statements were updated on 29 May 2026. A statement issued in 2023 without the Section 54A and 54B provisions needs a variation notice or a replacement.
3. Was a variation notice issued by 14 June 2026? If not, the landlord should issue one immediately.
4. Are Section 173 notices valid? An unregistered or unlicensed landlord cannot serve a valid no-fault possession notice. A landlord who has not delivered a compliant written statement cannot serve one; if the statement was delivered late, the six-month notice bar runs from its delivery date.

Old AST Templates Are Not Valid

A landlord who tries to use their old AST template for a new letting starting after 1 December 2022 will create a defective contract. The new letting requires a standard occupation contract from the outset — it was never an AST and cannot be documented as one. The correct starting point is the Welsh Government's current model written statement.

Get the Conversion Compliance Checklist

The Occupation Contracts in Wales guide includes a converted contract audit checklist that walks through every obligation for pre-2022 tenancies, from the original written statement deadline through the June 2026 anti-discrimination update.

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